Churn



(N0 Model.)

B. WALKER, Jr.

rum-565,817." Patented Aug. 11,1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BEN-WALKER, JR, or AUSTIN, TEXAS.

CHURN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,817, dated August11, 1896. Application filed November 19, 1895. Serial No. 569,428 (N m mI To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, BEN WALKER, Jr., of Austin, in the county of Travisand State of Texas, have invented a new, and Improved Churn, of whichthe following is a full, clear,

churning is finished, the various parts being so constructed andarrangedas to be readily cleaned.

The invention consists in a churn comprising a body having at its base acircular chamber, at the central part of which is journaled a tubularshaft, and a fan or agitator carried on said shaft and arranged to turnat the mouth of said circular chamber, the lower end of said shaftwithin said chamber being formed with openings, so that as the shaft isturned a current of air will be drawn through the hollow thereof by saidfan and will be discharged from the openings at the lower end of theshaft and caused to pass upward through the cream in order to thoroughlyagitate the same.

The invention also contemplates certain novel features of theconstruction, combination, and arrangement of the various parts of theimproved device, whereby certain important advantages are attained andthe device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted andmore convenient for use than various other forms of churn heretoforeemployed, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a section taken vertically through the axis of a churnconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe churn, one-half thereof being shown in section in the planeindicated by the line as as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detached detail view,

drawn to an enlarged scale, of the disk employed on thechurn-shaft forpreventing the foaming of the'contents of the churn-body;

and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the clamp employed forholding said disk adjustably in place on the shaft.

. In the views, 1 represents the churn-body,

which may be of anypreferred construction,

being, as herein shown, of cylindrical form and having an open top,across which exturn on a pint, secured at the base of the churn-body,and said lower end of the shaft 4 is provided with one or more openings7 for the escape of the air drawn through said shaft from the upper endthereof, as will be hereinafter set forth.

At the lower part of the churn-body a raised wall 8 is formed concentricwith the shaft 4, and forming within it an air-chamber, at the upperpart of which turns a fan or agitator comprising inclined blades 9,secured on a boss or hub 10, mounted on the shaft 4, said fan oragitator being of a diameter adapted to fit snugly in the mouth of thechamber, and being arranged to project slightly above the same, so as.to act upon the cream contained in the churn-body.

11 represents a plate or sheet of suitable material held vertically inthe churn-body and serving to prevent the rotation of the contentsthereof under the influence of the rotating agitator-blades 9, saidplate being provided with a stem 12, which extends up and is providedwith a hooked upper end 13, engaging the upper edge of the churn-bodyand provided with a screw 14, whereby it may be clamped fast thereto.Said plate is provided at its lower part with an overhanging portion15,which extends out over the agitator and serves to prevent the removalof the same when the said plate is clamped fast by means of its screw14. The lower end of the plate 11 is held against movement by lugs 16,formed on the bottom of the churn-body at the wall thereof, betweenwhich lugs said plate is engaged, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2.

17 represents the disk or plate for preventing the foaming of thecontents of the churnbody, said plate being provided with an inclined orbeveled edge 19 and being somewhat dished or concaved on its under side,as indicated at 18 in Fig. 1, and being provided with a neck 20, fittingthe shaft 4, and

split, as indicated at 21, so as to be adapted air-chamber having amouth with a continuto be clamped fast on said shaft 4: by means of aclamping-band 22, encircling the neck and provided with anadjusting-screw 23, the construction of which will be clearly understoodfrom Figs. 1 and-4. of the drawings.

In the operation of the device, the shaft at being set in rapid rotativemovement, the blades 9 of the agitator or fan will act to create anupward current in the cream near the bottom of the churn-body, so as tocreate a partial vacuum in the chamber formed by the raised wall 8 atthe base of the churnbody, whereby air will be drawn through theopenings 7 in the lower end of the shaft 4. and caused to pass upthrough the cream contained in the churn, so as to fairly agitate thesame and form the butter. The plate 11 at the same time serves toprevent the contents of the churn-body from turning, and the disk 17also serves to prevent the contents from foaming and overflowing at thetop of the churn-body, for which purpose it may be adjusted up and downon the shaft 4.

From the above description of my invention it will be seen that thedevice is of an exceedingly simple and inexpensive nature, and that thevarious parts thereof when separated may be readily cleansed, sincethere are no crevices or corners in which the soured milk may collect.It will also be obvious be understood as limiting myself to the eX- actform of the device herein shown.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination of the churn-body, the

011s circular wall, said mouth leading to the churn-body, a rotaryagitator located in the mouth of the air-chamber so as to close thesame, and an air-inlet leading to said chamber, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of the churn-body, the rotary agitator having ahollow shaft and a continuous raised wall formed in the churnbody andsurrounding the agitator-shaft, the said wall fitting snugly around theagitator so that the latter will form a cover for said chamber, and theshaft having an opening adapted to discharge air into the said chamber,substantially as described.

3. The combination of the churn-body, the rotary agitator, and anair-chamber having its walls fitted snugly around the agitator so thatthe latter closes and controls the communication between the churn-bodyand the air-chamber whereby the liquid cannot rush under the agitatorwhile the same is in operation, the agitator projecting partly beyondthe mouth of said chamber, and an air-inlet leading to said chamber,substantially as described.

BEN W'ALKER, JR.

Witnesses:

BEN WALKER, LESSLIE L. J ACKSON.

